Strangers
by KatofDresden
Summary: Modern day AU Doctor Tauriel Mirkwood finds a handsome stranger in the door of her hospital - Kili, looking desperately for his brother, who has been missing for five days. She gets strangely attached to this young man - but he is quite ill. Angst, Hurt/comfort, Kiliel. (Also a bit of one one-sided Legolas/Tauriel in later chapters. The poor boy.) Lots of Hurt Kili!
1. Chapter 1

I saw him the moment I stepped out of the hospital. Sometimes I just needed some fresh air, a moment to clear my head with the cold winter air. Other people went out to smoke - well, in spite of not smoking I took my cigarrette breaks as well. I knew I couldn't be out long, I was in a shift and patients didn't stop coming that day. Sometimes I hated my job. Sometimes I wished I could have chosen something more calm, like dermatology. But no... _Emergencies is my thing, _I had to say. Damn. I was so tired and the shift was only beginning.

And then I saw him, looking like a lost puppy, with a bunch a papers in his hands. Good-looking guy, shoulder-length black hair, little stubble, dark eyes. Hot. He wasn't wearing enough clothes for the cold, though, and was limping a bit, a bit too pale. Still. Quite hot. Part of me felt that he must have been a foreigner, a tourist maybe. No American was allowed to look that good. And those fingerless gloves... Damn you sexy hobo/tourist.

And then he looked up with those big chocolate eyes and saw me. Saw me staring. And started coming my way. Damn. _Play it cool, Tauriel. _

"Hello" he said. "Do you work here?" From the accent I could tell that he was either British or Irish, or from someplace near that.

"Yes, yes." I said, trying to sound confident and and not at all nervous. _You are an adult, and a Doctor, not a little teen, pull yourself together. _

"I was wondering... Can you put any of these in your hospital?" He said, handing me some of the papers. There was a picture of a young blonde man in them. "It's my brother. He's been missing five days, last I heard of him he was here, in Maine. I've tried in other hospitals, I've tried the police but they say they have nothing to go on, and there's not even constancy that he's in the States... But I know he is, he entered through Canada, on Monday, he - he said he would call me and..."

I look from the page back at him, and his eyes were bright. He was trying to be strong but really - really wanted to cry. No wonder.

"I know lots of people come through hospitals, so if you or anyone else there, patients, relatives, nurses, I don't know... If anyone has seen him, please call me."

"Sure, sure. I'll put it in reception. I'll tell director it's an emergency thing if he complains. I can put it my facebook too, make it circulate it a bit through Portland people."

There was a small smile in his lips.

"Oh, bless you, Doctor, thank you so much. I... I don't know anyone here and Fili's phone has been disconnected and there's no sign of him, anywhere...You're sure you havent seen him?"

The boy said, hopeful. I found myself wishing I had seen this man. But I would have remembered. Quite a striking face, his brother's as well as his.

"I haven't, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, you have already been much more helpful than the police. They haven't even started to investigate… And I'm sure something has happened to him. He- he called three or four times a day before, and now suddenly nothing…"

It didn't sound good, no.

"And he told you he was in Portland?"

"Yes. He's looking for an old heirloom thing of the family, the Arkenstone. Said it would solve all our money problems and our uncle has been whining about it being lost for a long time. Fili said he found the trace of the guy that had it, that he was in Portland. That was the last I heard of him."

It was enough to start an investigation – the stone, the man that could have it, maybe the force could GPS the brother's last call, triangulate his position, something. It felt a bit wrong that no one was doing anything about this missing man, while other times they filled the media with missing people and the whole city looked for them in volunteer searches. And for this guy... nothing.

"I have a friend in the Police force." I said. Legolas owed me a big favour. Maybe it was the time to use that to my advantage. "Maybe if I intercede I could convince him to dig into it, or at least convince him to let me use the computers and equipment of the police station, do a little search."

The hot guy's expression softened.

"You are an angel, really. I – I don't know how to thank you, Doctor. This is so important to me... I – Our mother died last year and I don't know where Uncle his half of the time, always out and… He's all I have bit of help is very appreciated."

I drew a small smile.

"Well, you're lucky you found me, because I am helpful mood today."

"Thank you again, Dr. … Mirkwood."

"Call me Tauriel. But I don't think I caught your name."

"Sorry, it's Kili. Kili – Durin." He took out one of his hands for me to stretch. It was really cold.

That's when I started noticing it. How unusually disheveled he looked, the dark stain forming in his right knee- the very leg from which he limped. Probably blood. Damn.

"What happened to your leg?"

"It's nothing, it just wasn't stitched properly and it still bleeds a bit. That's why I stayed behind, I was supposed to meet Fili next week when my leg was better, even if I told him it was nothing, but…"

I noticed the flush on his cheeks, despite the rest of his skin being death pale… and with this cold. I knew what it meant. My Doctor instincts kicked in and I put my hand on his forehead. He was burning up.

"You're running a fever, probably that bad stitching got infected. Come in, I'll admit you, fix it up. Maybe have you for observation a bit…"

"Thank you, but I can't. I have to keep looking for Fili, time is precious, you know. I need to find him before something bad happens."

"You can't go around with an unattended infected wound, you'll only get worse. And with this weather..."

"I don't have money to pay for it, anyways, I don't have any insurance and I already spent too much in the plane and I need to look for my brother. Sorry, I know you mean well, but, no."

He was determined. Well, so was I.

"You need medical attention, Kili. You won't do your brother much good if you pass out in a motel room, will you?"

"It's nothing, really."

"Who is the Doctor here? Last I checked, it was me, and I say it's not nothing. This fever is quite high, and you could get an pneumonia in this cold and I, as a doctor, cannot allow that to happen. Come inside, at least for a couple of hours. My treat."

"I have to go, but thank you for the concern. My number is on the pages, let me know if you do go to the police."

I had to stop him. For medicine and for what was good and for my peace of mind.

"Come on. I won't be able to sleep at night knowing you're out there with a poorly treated wound."

He didn't seem convinced – which made me only more stubborn. I was going to help for this boy like it or not. My pager starting beeping but I didn't care. Now, this man had become my mission. My pager started beeping - that stupid thing. Didn't it see I was busy?

"Fifteen- twenty minutes tops, off the books. Just let me fix you up and give you a bit of medication. No charge." I drew my best smile – with a certain I'm a professional look thrown in there too."You can continue your search after I dress that leg properly."

"Won't you get in trouble for doing that?"

Probably. But I didn't care too much.

"Nah, I have friends in there, in the hospital pharmacy too. They won't report me."

"And what about that pager, I…?"

"You let me take care of that, okay? Just get in there, get yourself a bit warm, break your journey a bit."

"You are excessively kind, but all right."

Once inside, I asked one of the nurses to tell me if there were any empty rooms. There was one. I left Kili there, and went to find some supplies. I also used the trip to put the pages with his brother's face in reception and give a couple pages more to some relatives on the waiting room. And I had to do something about my shift, my patients – luckily, Haldir was on duty and I managed to convince him to cover me for half an hour. He was a nice guy.

Why was I do all of this for a guy I just met? No idea. I wanted to think that it was to help vanquish injustice, make the world a better and fairer place, make a difference. Good trumps evil, that kind of thing. Even in our cold god-forsaken city. Because I was a noble warrior of medicine, always ready to help other, those in need.

Maybe I simply felt bad for him. Maybe I feared something terrible would happen to this beautiful stranger if I didn't intervene.

I went back with the supplies and some meds. Usually it was nurses who did that kind of thing, but since what I was doing was technically illegal, I prefer not to get more people involved.

He seemed nervous.

"Is it always this cold?"

I smiled while I prepped the material.

"We're practically on Canada, love."

"Are you Canadian?" How on earth did he know?

"I was born there, yes."

"In the middle of a big forest?" HOW. DID. HE. KNOW?

"Yes."

That was when I saw it, and all other thoughts vacated my mind. The wound in his leg was long and deep, the edges were black and blue and red, and surrounded by dried blood. The stitches were all crooked and half finished. I frowned…

"What kind of butcher…?"

He looked at me.

"Is it that bad?"

"Nothing I can't fix. But really, I don't know how you were even walking like this."

I spent the next fifteen minutes in silence, concentrated in the task at hand. I had to remove most of the stitches, clean the wound (and wondered what the hell had caused it) and then redo them. Not easy, but I could do it. He didn't complain, and was strangely quiet. When I looked at him again his eyes seemed a bit out of focus. Guy was probably tired.

"Ok, almost ready. You sure you don't want to stay? Some rest would do you a world of good. Give you new energies to continue looking."

"No, but thank you, Tauriel. You've been the nicest thing that's happened to me in a long time."

_I wish you didn't have to leave._

"You're welcome."

I walked him out and gave him card. It felt right.

"Anything you need, just give me a call."

I saw him leave in the cold winter day.

Damn.

Now I would have to go back to my life, to work, to the long hours of the shift. Patients who complain and relatives who complain even more. I looked at his figure in the distance. Kili Durin. What a delightful little mystery.

I looked up just in time to see him collapse on the floor, unconscious.

_Looks like you're not done saving this one, Tauriel._

A/N: Did you like it? No? All feedback is very welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

When I saw him collapse I raced to the guy, the rest forgotten. I needed to assess the situation and get him some real medical attention – now. I knew he wasn't okay, I knew that my stitching, as good as it could have been was not solving the real issue there, the real problem. This man was sick, very sick, and she had almost let him go. But now was not the time for regrets.

It was time for action.

I quickly went over there, assess the situation and took him on my arms so I could carry him to the door – while marveling at both my strength and how light this guy was. The main issue seemed to be his fever but his breathing wasn't sounding too well either. Situation was looking much worse than either of us had imagined when he had found me on the entrance of the hospital. I sure wished it was simply exhaustion and not sepsis or something major. Poor guy didn't deserve so much shit.

I was on the hall shouting instructions in a matter of seconds with the man still unconscious in my arms. Not good, I knew. We got a gurney and placed him on it, and I called a couple of nurses to help me move him. We put him in a bed and started gathering data: heart rate, pulse ox, the works. Blood pressure was low, body temperature too high… everything was a mess. Something was seriously wrong, something apart from that infection. I had figured it was just an Staph infection when I saw the wound on his leg, but the collapsing and the low oxygen didn't fit.

Damn it, I only wanted to be a nice to a pretty stranger, now I was knee deep on medical mystery. Yay.

I put him on an oxygen mask and sent some blood to the lab, apart from pumping him full of antipyretics and some saline, because he was a bit dehydrated. (And he meant to roam the streets like that, in Portland, in February, the poor soul). And wished he would wake up. I considered giving him some broad spectrum antibiotics but finally decided against it. Better to know what was causing this before doing anything else.

I had to leave to continue my rounds, I did have a job after all. I sighed and told the nurses around to tell me if so much as opened an eye. I had brought him in, the boy was my responsibility. Even if he was going to get me in a lot of trouble. Indeed, there was the ER coordinator (such an unpleasant man, really, I had referred to him as the _Orc _so long that I had forgotten his actual name) giving me grief, telling me that the patient that I admitted wasn't registered, that we had no data, that we needed some sort of insurance, that we had no medical records, that this was a serious hospital and that we couldn't be collecting strays…

"What did you want me to do? Just leave an unconscious man in the street? It's thirty fucking degrees out there, in case you haven't noticed…."

"Well that's very noble of you, Mirkwood, but we are not a charity and…"

"What is this?" Came a third voice. Not me. Not the Orc. A flawless voice belonging to a flawless person. Shit. She was here, here in the flesh, perfection made person. The director of the whole hospital, Galadriel Lothlorien. Damn.

"I picked up a man on the street after he collapsed, he's European and doesn't have insurance, and this gentleman here has a problem with it."

"No, Director, I'm not saying that we should have left the man on the street, but he will need probably a long stay in here and if no one is going to pay…. This is not the first time Mirkwood has done this and…."

"What does the patient have, Tauriel?"

Oh my god, she had addressed me by my first name. Maybe I could use this to my advantage. I shortly explained what the symptoms were while the Orc glared. _I will always win, sucker. _

"Will you take care of registering the man and finding his records?"

"Sure, I will."

"Then I don't see what the problem is. Go back to your posts, Doctors."

"Yes, Director."

Well, that had been a close call. But if I had the Director on my side things would be much easier. One of the nurses told me that Kili had woken up and I went there. He looked as pale as before and a bit disoriented. I'd taken the mask off as his ox levels stabilized but kept a nasal cannula because the levels still weren't good enough. He looked around, obviously distressed.

"Hello again. Remember me?"

He looked at me, a bit confused, and then nodded.

"What happened?"

"You collapsed on the street. Luckily, I saw you and brought you in. But we're gonna have to keep you here tonight, that infection seems to be worse than we thought."

He didn't fight me on it like he'd done when I tried to admit him, but he looked sad, really sad. But well, what could I do? Guy was on a place he didn't know, probably feeling like hell, his brother was missing and he probably felt like shit, useless and frustrated. I would be, a least.

"I'm going to need some ID and the name of your Doctor back home so they can transfer your records." I said, wanting to leave this done as soon as possible.

"It's in my backpack… where is it?"

I took it from where I left it, just under the bed.

"I thought you would want to have it close, in case someone called for your brother."

He smiled a bit, but seemed much more tired than when we had met, only hours before. I hoped those lab results would hurry, I didn't like this this uncertainty. He passed me an ID card and the visiting card of his Doctor. I also called Legolas and told him to bring his blonde over to the hospital. He said he'd come once he finished an assignment. He better.

"This Oin is the one who did that number on your leg?"

"Yep. But don't blame him, I'm a terrible patient."

Well, he didn't seem so terrible from where I was standing. And I had known terrible patients. They all seemed to prefer going to ER, as if we had time for their nonsense and whining.

"I'll be back in a second." I said and left to do the paperwork. Usually, the Orc would be on my back, telling to go back to other patients, what was keeping me, etc. but the Director had told him to let me breathe. I was so grateful to that woman.

When I went back to my favourite patient (let's admit it) he hastily wiped the tears on his face, but his eyes were still bright. My heart broke a little.

"Hey, what is it?"

"I – Nothing, it's just… I'm such a failure, I come here and spend what little we had saved and all for nothing. I can't even get a stupid leg wound to heal."

Unconsciously, I put my hand on his. Then I felt awkward and retrieved it.

"Everything ok with the papers?"

"Yes, no there anyone that you would like me to call? Friend, girlfriend, colleague… anyone?"

Look at me, being smooth.

"No. No one."

Gosh. So much melancholy. I tried to distract him a bit.

"I called my friend on the police, told him to come down, so you can give him whatever info you have. I can't promise they'll follow through, but… We'll try. That way, he and his partner will get their asses frozen looking for your brother while you get better."

He tried to smile, but his eyes were still sad. And I had a break and I was supposed to be getting something to eat, but somehow I felt compelled to stay there, by his bedside. Maybe it was just sympathy, because he seemed quite lonely. Maybe there was something more. I wished I could say something to comfort him, but I didn't know what.

"Hey, try not to worry too much, ok?" Not exactly the best advice, but it got the point.

He weakly nodded. He was still too pale, the stats never good enough and he seemed quite uncomfortable in that bed. I tried to think of something else to distract him, even if it was only for a bit.

"And what do you do in Ireland, if it's not too much indiscretion?"

He looked at me, apparently surprised that I was interested. (_And he had the most beautiful eyes, goddamn)_

"You're going to laugh. It's nothing serious and useful like you do." He said, all mysterious.

"I'm intrigued."

"I'm on a band. We're not really famous but we make enough not to have to work in anything else. And touring a couple of summers I was able to pay for my studies, so… It's not terribly bad."

"And here I was thinking that you were a lonely soul when you're a rockstar!" I said, hoping to get him to smile a bit.

"I think rockstar is a bit of a stretch, really. People don't recognize me in the streets or anything. It's my brother and our singer who are the real stars. Actually, I have one of our albums in my backpack if you want to see. There are some pictures of Fili there, I thought it could be useful."

With his permission, I looked through the backpack until I found the cd. There they were, five men in the cover, all brute and angry looking. Kili was definitely the prettiest of them all.

"_End in fire. _I'm guessing you make rock, right?"

"Yeah, punk. Fili is the main guitarist, Bofur there sings, his brother plays the drums and Ori plays bass."

It wasn't them that interested me.

"And you?

"I'm just a backing guitarist. To add some noise, you know."

He made the cutest movement with his hands as he spoke, as if he was embarrassed or something. _Focus, Tauriel. Conversation._

"I used to play too, the piano." And now he looked up. "Chopin, Beethoven… classical things."

"I always thought classic music was … cold and distant." But there was no disappointment, no malice. Just that.

I also appreciated the fact that he hadn't used the words boring or pretentious. I had heard that way too much.

"It's memory… " I said. "in all its perfection, and in all its imperfection."

"I played in an indie rock band once. They had a violin, you know, and it was incredible, how beautiful it sounded. The melodies Perfect and imperfect indeed. Just like you said. Sometimes we have to take a moment to get out of ourselves and appreciate the world, I guess."

We looked at each other for like thirty straight seconds and I was amazed at this guy. He was so much more than a pretty face. But I had to leave, I had already been too long there and I had other patients, like it or not.

"I'll call you up when the police comes. Try to get some sleep, ok? The sooner you get better, the…. Well, just get some rest. Doctor's orders."

I smiled. He did too.

I took the CD.

"Can I keep it?"

"Yeah, yeah. You probably won't think it's any good, but..."

"I'm sure I'll love it."

I was loving everything else about him, anyways.

In a cold room, full of golden objects.

There were two men there, two men tied to two chair in a dark room. Because their captor was sleeping. Fili spoke up.

"I'm worried, Bilbo."

Bilbo was worried too. He'd been sent by Thorin too long ago to get that damned Arkenstone, and now he couldn't get out. The only one to get close to the whole thing had been Fili, and now he was locked up too.

"Worried that Smaug will kill us?"

"Not just that. My brother has probably noted my absence… If he ends up here with us I wouldn't forgive myself."

"Well, then. Let's just hope he's still far away… and let's hope Smaug continues to sleep for a very long time."

A/N: Like it? I sure hope so! Do comment if you did! ;) Legolas appears next time.


	3. Chapter 3

Bilbo had been in that damned room for over two weeks. He knew every cup, every golden bit of sumptuous paraphernalia in that god-forsaken basement. He knew it. He had been there for over two weeks and this place had become almost a home. He had tried all types of strategies to be released, mostly flattering his captor and telling him that he was on his side. But nothing worked. He barely even got fed and Smaug didn't believe any of his lies. He was only even alive because apparently he amused the billionaire. "_And I want to see your face when I finally finish Thorin."_ Smug bastard.

And then, some days ago, there was a change. Bilbo had hoped, foolishly, that Thorin had come back for him, that he'd been looking and finally found him. But no – of course not. He should've known better. It was Fili, his boss' young nephew. And now they were both in this awful situation. The silver lining was that somebody might have noticed Fili's absence. He did have a brother, didn't he? Bilbo was hoping that someone had noticed that he was missing, and started investigating. Someone had to come.

Fili didn't want that to be happening. He didn't want to be prisoner, he didn't want to be used as ransom (because that was what Smaug planned to do, use him and Bilbo to lure Thorin to his damned…lair) and he didn't want Kili to come looking for him. He should have never left, should have abandon his brother, much less when he was sick. But he thought he had a shot at this… Retrieving the Arkenstone, their home and all that it meant. All they use to have.

Their family legacy, Erebor incorporated, the enterprise that meant everything. It all depended on that Arkenstone and the info that was in there. But it was under Smaug's control and now he was at his mercy, too.

He should have never left Kili.

* * *

When my shift ended, I checked on my Irish boy once again and left - my shift had ended.

I needed to freshen up, have some sleep, eat, something. I needed some distance, I knew better than to get close to patients. They all ended up dying or getting better. Whatever the outcome, they left and I should okay with it. They should be part of work, not part of my life. I knew getting involved was only trouble. Still, he was in my head. Them chocolate eyes.

I put on the CD. It was good, better than I expected. The lyrics were rough and angry, and sung basically in screams, but still meaningful. And the guitars.. gosh. Amazing. This was really not my scene but I was loving it.

When I went back to work my batteries were fully recharged. I changed, filled some paperwork and saw some of my patients. Everything was all right. Everything was normal - business as usual. And then I went back to him, slightly nervous and feeling like an idiot for it. I should be over these things, I should be better. I was an adult, I was a doctor. Too old for butterflies in the stomach.

There he was in his bed, my very own wounded prince, looking at nowhere in particular. He was as worryingly pale as before, and his eyes were shining. There were tear stains surrounding them but his expression was strangely happy. Odd.

"How is my favourite rockstar today?" I asked, trying to sound calm.

His eyes were unfocused for a bit and then he recognized me. Strange. Had he forgotten me already?

"Doctor Tauriel…But... You can't be her…She is far away… Playing the piano with the stars..."

I looked at him, concerned.

"What on earth have they given you?" His vitals were all sorts of wrong, yet there was no one doing anything. I put him in an oxygen mask again and tried to lower his temperature.

"Walking under the stars…" He murmured.

He was burning up, probably a bit delirious, but still it didn't explain this. I looked at his chart and lab results, and they didn't make any sense. This was saying that the boy was all right, when it was quite clear that he had a severe infection, or something worse. And nothing explained this delirious state. So I stopped one of the nurses I knew for an explanation, when he came by and greeted me.

"Pip! You know what happened to my patient?"

"Not exactly, but the Orc has been around. He seems particularly unhappy this last couple of days. Maybe he's given him some excessive dose, you know how he can be."

"If he has done something to Kili, I swear…" Calm down, Tauriel. No need for anyone to get hurt.

I closed my eyes, counted to ten. I remembered when I was a kid and did archery in summer, in the forest. Sometimes I wished I could take my bow with me and just _hunt down some Orc._

"Anything else I can help you with?" Pip said smiling. Such a cute little man.

"No, thanks. I guess I'll just have to wait until those drugs are out of his system. Unless you can help me figure out these results… It doesn't make any levels are all normal, but there's nothing normal about his condition."

I looked back at Kili, who has now looking at his left hand as if it was the most fascinating thing in the universe.

"I can't help with that, but maybe you could ask Faramir."

Faramir was Pip's friend and an ICU doctor, the husband of one of my college friends, Eowyn. She was working in a fancier clinic and had asked me if I could find his husband something. He had quite the tragic past (a very popular and famous dead older brother, a murderous father that almost killed him, a fire…) but he was a kind man. I was happy for her when Eowyn introduced me – they were both good to figure this mystery, I did meet Faramir and he suggested to run the tests again, look for masking agents, and a couple of possible diagnosis.

When I went back to Kili a couple of hours later he looked slightly better, if still as pale and sickly as before. He recognized me, which was good.

"Feeling better?" I asked.

"Yes, thank you. Although my head still feels a bit blurry…"

"Cops will be here in a bit. You think you'll be able to talk to them?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. I'm glad someone's coming. " He sighed. "I wish I was more useful. If Fili was on my position he would have already found me."

One could practically see the guilt on the guy's eyes. He really did believe what he was saying.

"Hey, don't. Don't do that to yourself. You got the message through –we'll find him."

I told myself I would cure this guy, no matter what it took. Screw not involving yourself in patients' lives. Screw everything. I was gonna save him, him and his brother, all of them, no matter where I had to go…

"Tauriel."

I knew that voice.

And there he was, my old pal Legolas, as blonde and perfect as usual, with his long hair on a pony tail, and a very elegant brown suit. A real looker.I knew him since I moved to the states, and we had been through a lot together. He was a good guy, and an even better cop. Next to him was a man that I didn't know.

"I hope this is important, we have lots of work. This…" he said, pointing at the other guy. "is Bard Bowman, my new partner."

"Tauriel Mirkwood."

"Pleasure, Legolas has always spoken very highly of you." Great. Now I felt bad. I didn't speak highly of him, just said that it was a good guy if someone asked. Better to focus. I led them to where Kili was. There was no time to lose.

"Guys, this is Kili Durin, one of my patients. His brother has been missing for a week. Kili, these are Detectives Greenleaf and Bowman."

"Hello, it's so good to see you. I… I have some here some pictures of my brother, some… some of the places where he told he was and… my phone.. there are some voices messages and texts and…Last I heard of him, he was on the trail of the man who had the Arkenstone."

"Did he give you a name?" Bard asked. He seemed more interested than Legolas, and was even taking notes."

"Smaug." No last name. No need. We all knew who he was talking about. Billionaire, owner of so many things. Guy was practically buried in gold, he was so hated him, but he was practically untouchable. Whoever messed with him got burnt. Badly.

"That rich old man? He's practically armored with lawyers, not even us can go into his properties. He once burnt a trespasser with a flame thrower and was then acquitted. He's practically untouchable." Well, it seemed that people got burnt metaphorically and literally.

Kili paled more, if that was possible upon hearing what the man had done.

"It doesn't look good, no. If he went to him and then disappeared… Sorry to say, son, but…" Bowman started, sorrowful. He seemed much more interested than Legolas, which kind of bothered me. Usually Legolas was happy to help.

"No, he he wouldn't kill my brother." Kili said, sounding determined. "Fili's good leverage –"

"Leverage?"

"To draw out Thorin, our uncle. He's the one who's supposed to have the enterprise and the Arkenstone, he's the one Smaug hates the most."

"And where is your uncle right now? Is there any chance that this has contacted him, maybe with a ransom?" Bard asked.

"I don't know know where he is… He went to look for his father… he… disappeared after Smaug took Erebor. Fili wanted to surprise him with the Arkenstone when he came back."

They continued speaking for a bit, and Kili gave them half the contents of his backpack: documents, cell phones... Anything that he thought could be linked to his brother's disappearance.

"Thank you. We'll see what we can do."

But Legolas seemed unconvinced. He took me aside and looked at me, with a disapproving stare, while Bowman continued talking with Kili.

"We can't take this, we can't go against Smaug. He's too powerful. " He started.

"And since when have you let criminals prevail?"

"Tauriel…"

"With every victory, that evil billionaire gets stronger. We were supposed to fight evil, remember? I fought disease, you fought crime. We help the world have more light." It was things we said as kids, but they were still meaningful. I still lived by those standards. Trying to make the world a better place, one patient at a time.

"Even if I wanted to, we have no jurisdiction. The only proof that Durin was ever here was that he told his brother. And he's probably out of Maine already and he's not even American!"

_Where was this coming from?_

"That's what your father would say, Legolas, not you. _Protect Portland for Portland people._ He would let the world burn if it didn't affect his little realm. Weren't we supposed to be better than that, to care about the whole world? Are we not part of this world?"

I was convincing him and I knew it. Good. If there was any chance that we found this kid alive then we were taking it. I was not going to let down Kili, or more importantly, myself. Was I overstepping my boundaries? Perhaps. Was I taking Legolas for granted? Perhaps that too. Still...

"We're taking this." Said a third voice. Bowman. Now that was unexpected. "Let's head back to the station. I'll explain on the way."

"Keep me updated."

"Will do."

I didn't know back then, but it turned out that Bard had a history with this man. His grandfather a man by the name of Girion, had tried to take him down before he forcefully took the enterprise from the Irish. Because it wasn't just Erebor that he took. Bard's ancestor's enterprise, Dale, was bought and then dissolved. It disappeared – leaving only hundred of employees ruined. But he wasn't doing it for that. No. He was doing it for his kids, so what happened on Dale wouldn't happen again. Legolas didn't need much convincing, after my little speech.

It was the next morning that I got a call from the detectives.

"I spoke to some guys from my old station at Salt Lake, some contacts from here, an informant. I spoke with the boss, he says we have the rest of the day for this after I called in some favours. Only today and no back-up, but well. It's something. We'll go to a place belonging to Erebor, that he's been visiting lately more than usual. We search the place, and if we do find Durin or any evidence that he was ever there, we can finally bring him down. For good. No more impunity." Bowman said.

At last, some hope.

"I got you into this mess, I'm coming with you."

"This is irregular, but we could use all the help. Bring a weapon."

Before going to the adventure, I went to see Kili again. He'd been moved to a room in the third floor – I asked Faramir and Pip to watch him while I was gone. He was sleeping, pale and restless. We still didn't know what was wrong. He moaned in pain while sleeping, his black hair plastered to his pale face.

"I'm going to find your brother, little man. Just you wait."

A/N: Sorry for the wait and sorry for the shitty chapter. All mistakes are mine, English is still not my first language. Hope you enjoyed! Please do comment! I love all the reviews, they make me happy ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Erebor HQ was a hue building, like a lonely mountain that towered over everything. A tall and stern building, grey and big and with a firmly closed front door.

I was waiting for the other two near in the cold, impatiently. I wanted this to be over as soon as possible. It wasn't that I was afraid of a little confrontation (I did have a taste for action, specially when it was for a decent cause) but Smaug was one scary man. There was a reason why Thranduil or any of the others big shots had left him alone. He was too powerful, too rich and had done whatever he wanted since he'd established himself here. He cast a dark shadow over many people, but no one dared do anything. And now the three of us, just two cops and a doctor were storming the castle.

Legolas and his partner were there in minutes, with their hats and scarves. Typical cop, even if they weren't wearing a uniform. They seemed really calm and put together. Good. They were going to need calm.

"Hey, guys. Good morning."

"Doctor Mirkwood." Bowman said. "Thanks for coming."

"Thank you for asking. Now how the hell are we going to enter? The place is locked down."

But Legolas had something in his hand.

"Secret key for the secret door, m'lady." He said.

"Where on earth did you get that?"

"Gandalf."

Gandalf was an old man that wore lots of grey and knew everything that was to know about everything.

We quietly went to the secret door and opened it. The inside was really dark, but Legolas had a flashlight with him. Typical cop. No one seemed to be inside, but still we had to be careful. Word was that Smaug sometimes spent whole months living there, even sleeping there.

"Do we have an idea of where should we start looking?" I asked. "There's like twenty floors of this thing."

Legolas had everything thought up. Always the action man.

"Okay, we'll split to cover more ground. Tauriel, you take the basement and the five first floors, there doesn't seem to be much action. I'll take floors six to twelve, Bard, you take floors thirteen to the top, okay? If we find something we communicate it immediately to the others, all right? And be silent, for the love of god. Phones on vibrate - you hear anything suspicious, you send a message, okay?"

We nodded and got into action. We took the stairs, trying not to be noticed.

I went to the basement first, and was taken aback by the amount of gold and riches in the room. It was like something from a comic or an Indiana Jones movie. Gold bars, jewelry, bunch of bills thrown around, paintings. I directed the light from my phone to the front and...

There was someone there. Someone tied up to a chair.

"Hello?"

Fili hadn't reacted at first to the person who had come. It was best to pretend to be asleep when he came. Not be noticed. But the presence seemed to be tiptoeing, which was strange. And normally Smaug - wasn't so quiet. He liked to be imposing, threaten him and Bilbo with his presence.

But then the figure spoke and it was a feminine voice. Not Smaug, not him at all.

I approached the figure, not quite believing my luck. When I directed the light towards the figure I saw messy blond hair and blue eyes. Could it really be him?

"Fili? Fili Durin?"

"Yes! Yes!"

I smiled.

"I was sent by your brother. I'm here with two cops friends of mine, we'll get you out in no time."

"Well, thank god for Kili, huh?" Said a voice behind him. I moved the phone and saw another guy, a disheveled blondish short guy who looked like he'd been there for a long time. He smiled while I cut Fili's ropes with a switchblade.

"I'm Bilbo Baggins. I assume no one's been looking for me?"

"I'm sure someone has. I'm not even from the police, I only ran into Kili when he was looking for his brother. He is very worried." I whispered, in the direction of the blond who was finally free and stretching his legs.

"If he came all the way here, why didn't he come with you?" Fili asked. It wasn't like his brother to simply watch and not take part. He wasn't a backseat kind of person. And then he remembered his injury. "Is he all right?"

"He's in the hospital, probably an infection. I'm his doctor, told him I would look for you while he was bed-ridden. With a bit of luck, you'll be with him in just some minutes."

I texted my partners that the mission was accomplished at to get back to the secret door. I quietly left the basement with Fili and Bilbo and went to the secret entrance. Legolas and Bard came too, but they were running.

"Let's go! Someone's coming on the lift!"

We started running and there was someone shooting behind us, but we ran, and ran and ran. Looking at the car in front of us, looking for shelter. But someone from behind the car was shooting at the threat, and helping us. Someone was there.

"You didn't think I was gonna miss out on all the fun, did you?"

Shit. I knew that voice.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in the hospital!"

There he was, as pretty and chocolate-y as usual, Kili, pale as hell, hunched behind the car with a gun ready. His expression completely changed when he saw his brother behind me – to one of total relief.

"Fili…"

"Let's get in the car, brother."

We did, and Legolas and Bard did too, and soon we were speeding out of there. I was in the back of the car, with the reunited brothers and Baggins, while Legolas drove the car like a bat out of hell. Fili and Kili were hugging deeply, almost in tears.

"Don't you dare disappear on me like that, you hear me?" Kili was whispering.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left you, Kili. I missed you."

It was really a heart-warming sight, both of them holding on to each other for dear life. Fili was still dirty from the capture and Kili looked terminally sick, but still. They were lost in the hug for a whole five minutes.

"You look even worse than me, little brother. What… what happened to you?"

"Nothing, really, I'm just… a bit…"

"He didn't follow his doctor's orders, that's what happened."

Kili smiled at me with a puppy smile of his.

"I'm assuming my dear Doctor and her police-friends are the ones who saved you."

Introductions were made and explanations given. Apparently, Bilbo had been sent by Thorin and got caught under Smaug's control – as did Fili a while later. Kili told him about his travel and how he found a kind in his doctor. He even winked at me, the sexy bastard.

I looked out the window and saw that I didn't know where we were. I was going to ask but Bilbo beat me to it.

"Excuse me, mister driver, but.. where are we going?"

"We're not safe. Smaug has probably already sent people after us, I'm taking you to a safe house. I have the keys in the trunk."

Bard continued.

"I don't think he recognized us and he had the cameras switched off so there was no footage of him keeping you guys captive. So he can't go after us but we'll look in hospitals and other things for you three. You are witnesses, loose ends, so it will be best if you lay low for a while."

The brothers nodded. I was happy to see them so happy, even if I was worried about Kili's state. He looked even worse than before, and now that the adrenaline rush was wearing off he seemed to have trouble just keeping his eyes open. And I couldn't even take him to a hospital.

"So, Doctor Mirkwood… How did you get caught up in this whole mess?" Bilbo, the man to my left, asked.

I told him of day I met Kili in the entrance of the hospital and he listened carefully, as did Fili. He was happy to see his brother again, but he was concerned for the state in which he was. The fact that he had to escape a hospital to meet him. Gosh, he should have stayed in Ireland and not go in some stupid quest. That was the last time he left Kili when he was sick. Now he had only gotten worse.

The safe house was a cabin in the woods, near a lake.

It was a cold, and the threat of Smaug and his men still loomed over them.

It was a nice house.

But something wasn't quite right.

I watched concerned as Kili leaned on his brother and his eyes closed.

"Kili? Kili!"

A/N: Crappiest chapter to ever chapter. I am sorry. Sorry for the wait and the crappy quality. If you enjoyed, please leave a comment. ;)


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